Method of and apparatus for ironing shirts and similar articles of apparel



March 23, 1965 H. KANNEGIESSER ETAL 3,174,662

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR IRONING SHIRTS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES 0F APPAREL Filed July 51, 1962 Y Z Z A United States Patent Ofiice 3,174,662 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 3,174,662 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR IRUNING SHERTS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES F APPAREL Herbert Kannegiesser and Ludwig Miiller, Vlotho (Weser),

Germany, assignors to Kannegiesser & (30., Maschinenfabrik G.n1.b.l-I., Vlotho (Weser), Germany Filed July 31, 1962, Ser. No. 214,104 4 Claims. (Cl. 223-57) The present invention relates to ironing of shirts, robes, ladies dresses and suits, certain types of aprons and similar articles of apparel with or without collars. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for ironing collars, shoulder sections and/ or front sections of shirts and similar articles of apparel.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of continuously ironing shirts and similar articles of apparel in a substantially uninterrupted operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the just outlined characteristics which is constructed and assembled in such a way that it enables two or more operators or a series of auxiliary machines to apply articles of apparel to suitable supports, to button down the articles of apparel, to adjust the articles in order to eliminate undesirable folds and pleats, and to iron properly adjusted articles of apparel in a series of simultaneous operations so that one article is applied to its support while another article is being buttoned down, While a third article is being adjusted and while a fourth article is being ironed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for ironing shirts and similar articles of apparel which is constructed and assembled in such a way that two or more articles are readily accessible to operators even after the articles are placed onto their respective supports so that the operators may conveniently button down and/or otherwise adjust the articles prior to the actual ironing step.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a method of carrying out ironing operations in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a method according to which articles of apparel are mounted and/or adjusted on their respective supports within time intervals not longer than the time intervals during which the apparatus irons consecutive articles so that a new ironing operation can be started immediately upon completion of the preceding ironing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of consecutively ironing shirts and similar articles of apparel according to which several sections of each article may be ironed in a simultaneous operation.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a method of the above outlined characteristics which can be practiced with equal advantage in laundries wherein articles of apparel are ironed in moist conditions, as well as in manufacturing plants in which newly finished articles of apparel are dry when they are ready for ironing.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a timeand manhour-saving method of consecutively ironing shirts and similar articles of apparel at speeds much higher than the speeds at which such articles of apparel can be ironed in accordance with conventional methods 'of which we are aware at this time.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for ironing articles of apparel, particularly for ironing shoulder sections, collars and/or front sections of shirts and the like. This apparatus comprises a plurality of article-supporting first ironing members, means for supporting the first ironing members so that they are movable in a circular path about a common axis of rotation, a second ironing member which is adjacent to the circular path of the first ironing members, and means for reciprocably supporting the second ironing member so that the latter is consecutively movable into and out of ironing engagement with collars and/or front sections of articles of apparel supported by the first ironing members.

In accordance with our method, an article is placed onto one of the first ironing members while this one first ironing member is spaced from the second ironing member, the article-supporting first ironing member is then moved into a position in which it is adjacent to the second ironing member, and the second ironing member is moved into ironing engagement with the article on the adjacent first ironing member. At the same time, articles of apparel are being placed onto one or more additional first ironing members so that, when that ironing member which supports an ironed article is moved away from the second ironing member, another article is automatically moved into proper position with respect to the second ironing member.

In accordance with another feature of our method, a shoulder crease may be formed in the article of apparel at the same time at which the second ironing member cooperates with the respective first ironing member to iron the collar and/ or the front section of an article. In addition, the formation of a shoulder crease may be carried out simultaneously with ironing of the shoulder section on that article of apparel which is engaged by the second ironing member.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an ironing apparatus which embodies our invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the ironing apparatus; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevational View of an ironing member which forms part of the ironing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated embodiment, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an apparatus which is especially suited for ironing collared and button-equipped articles of apparel, such as shirts, robes, dresses, certain types of aprons and the like. The ironing apparatus comprises a turntable 11 constituting a revolving supporting means for moving four equidistant heatable article-supporting ironing members 12 in a circular path. Each ironing member 12 is provided with a male ironing element 12a adapted to fit into the opening of a shirt 20 which is slipped onto the respective ironing member. The turntable 11 comprises a supporting plate 11a which mounts the bases 12b of the ironing members 12, a hub 11]) which is rotatable about the vertical axis of an upright shaft 19', a ground-contacting carrier 11c which supports the shaft 10 and the hub 11b, and spokes 110. which connect the plate 11a with the hub. The plate 11a has been omitted in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity. It will be readily understood that the turntable may support two, three, five or even a larger number of article-supporting ironing members.

The exact construction of the ironing members 12 forms no part of this invention. As is known in this art, such ironing members may consist of padded plates which may be mounted on springs so that they may yield when engaged by a complementary ironing member 13 which is assumed to be reciprocably supported by swingable arms 13b so that it is outwardly adjacent to the circular path of the ironing members 12 and whose upper portion 13a constitutes a female ironing element having a cutout 13c adapted to accommodate one male ironing element 12a at a time.

The apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 operates as follows:

At the station I, an operator applies an unbuttoned shirt 20 or a similar article of apparel onto that ironing member 12 which momentarily occupies this station. The placing of a shirt onto the ironing member 12 occupying the work station I may require about five seconds. The turntable 11 is then rotated through 90 degrees, and an operator at the next work station II thereupon buttons down the shirt including the collar button so that the collar surrounds the male ironing element 12a of the ironing member 12 momentarily occupying the station II. It is preferred to provide each ironing member 12 with an adjustable male ironing element 12a of the type disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 210,501 of Herbert Kannegiesser, Ludwig Miiller and Richard Juraschek. The manipulations carried out at the station II may require about five seconds, whereupon the turnable is again moved through 9() degrees to advance the respective ironing member from the station II to the next position at the work station III at which an operator adjusts the shirt to eliminate undersirable pleats and folds which would be impressed into the material of the shirt at the work station IV. The adjustments carried out at the station III may require about five seconds.

When the turntable is again rotated through 90 degrees to move an ironing member 12 from its position at the station III to the next position at the station IV, the ironing member 12 now occupying the station IV cooperates with the ironing member 13 to carry out the ironing operation. The ironing operation can be completed within five seconds so that the apparatus of our invention may be provided with mechanical hydraulic, pneumatic or electric rotating means which is adjusted in such a way that it automatically turns the hub 110 every five seconds in order to intermittently advance the ironing members 12 in a circular path from a first position at the station I to a fourth position at the station IV, again to the first position at the station I, and so on. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotating means comprises an electric motor 10a and a Geneva'transmission 10b which is driven by the motor 10a and which intermittently rotates the shaft 11).

Theironing member 13 is heatable in a known manner and may be provided with mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic means adapted to move its outer side into ironing engagement with the front section of an article of apparel adjacent to the outer side of that ironing member 12 which momentarily occupies the station IV. When it is pressed against a collar on an article of apparel supported by an ironing member 12, the female ironing element 13a of the ironing member 13 cooperates with the respective male ironing element 12a toiron the collar.

FIG. 1 illustrates a pneumatic system which is utilized for moving the ironing member 13 into ironing engagement with the front section of an article of apparel adjacent to the outer side of the rightmost ironing member 12. This pneumatic system comprises a double-acting cylinder 29 whose piston rod is articulately connected to the ironing member 13, conduits 33, 34 which connect the chambers of the cylinder 29 with a rotary valve 32, and a supply line 31 which connects the valve 32 with a source of compressed air (not shown). The valve 31 is provided with an outlet 35 which may communicate with the conduit 33 or 34 depending on the angular position of the rotary valve member. In FIG. 1, the outlet 35 communicates with the conduit 34 and the supply line 35 communicates with the conduit 33 so that the ironing member 13 is moved away from the adjacent ironing member 12 because it is assumed that the member 13 has just completed an ironing step.

The means for heating the ironing member 13 comprises a rotary valve 22 which communicates with a conduit 25 and with a hose 26, the latter connected to the member 13. The ironing members are assumed to be heated by steam which is admitted through a supply line 21 leading to the valve 22, and this valve comprises an outlet 28 through which steam may escape fromthe conduit 25 when the rotary valve member of the valve 22 assumes the position of FIG. 1.

The conduit 25 communicates with a branch conduit leading to the carrier 11c and adapted to communicate with one of four conduits 24 mounted in the turntable 11 and leading to the respective ironing members 12. The arrangement is such that the branch conduit 23 always communicates with the conduit 24 of that ironing member 12 which is adjacent to the ironing member 13. When the ironing members 12 rotate, the supporting plate 11a seals the discharge end of the conduit 23.

The apparatus of our invention further comprises an additional ironing member14, hereinafter called crease forming member, which is reciprocably suspended on supporting arms 14a (see FIG. 1) and which is normally adjacent to but spaced from the ironing member 13. The member 14 is adapted to cooperate with the ironing member 13 and with that ironing member 12 which momentarily occupies the station IV to iron the shoulder section of a shirt and to form in the shoulder section a crease. The arms 14a of the crease forming member 14 may be suspended on the upright 10 and they enable an operator to move the member 14 toward and away from the shoulder supporting portion of that ironing member 12 which is momentarily located at the station IV. It is equally possible, particularly in large laundries or in textile manufacturing plants, to provide means for automatically moving the crease forming member 14 into and out of engagement with the ironing members 12, 13 at the station IV. For example, the crease form ing member 14 may be reciprocated by a system comprising one or more double-acting pneumatic cylinders which are operatively connected with the supporting arms 14a or which replace such arms.

In FIG. 1, the means for moving the crease forming member 14 into and out of engagment with the shoulder supporting portion of the rightmost ironing. member 12 by a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 3% which is connected with the conduits 33, 34 and whose piston rod is articulately coupled to one of the arms 14a. In the position of FIG. 1, the supply conduit 31 communicates with the left-hand chamber of the cylinder 30 so that the crease forming member 14 is moved away from the adjacent ironing member 12.

The crease forming member 14 is heated by steam admitted through a hose 27 which communicates with the conduit 25. In the position of FIG. 1, the hose 27 is sealed from the supply line 21 and communicates with the outlet 28.

The crease forming member 14 cooperates with consecutive ironing members 12 to iron the nape sections and the shoulder sections of shirts 20, particularly that section of each shirt which is visible through the opening of the collar when the shirt is properly folded after ironing and which carries the label of a manufacturer, the label of a distributor, a trademark or other indicia.

An ironed shirt may be removed right at the station IV or after the respective ironing member 12 reaches its first position at the station I. The removal of ironed shirts may be carried out by hand or by automatic machines, not shown. It is assumed that the article-sup porting ironing members 12 are movable unidirectionally, that is, from the fourth position at the station IV to the first position at the station I which latter is located beyond the ironing member 13 as seen in the direction in which the ironing members 12 move, to the second position at the station 11, to the third position at the station III, and again to the fourth position at the station IV. In its second and third positions, each ironing member 12 is located ahead of the ironing member 13, as seen in the direction in which the members 12 are caused to move in their circular path.

Since the time necessary for moving the ironing mem bers 12 between the stations I-Il, Ill-III, III-1V and/ or IV-I is very short, the intervals between the consectutive ironing operations are negligible. This means that the output of the apparatus is exceptionally high even though only one article of apparel is being ironed at a time. In other words, the length of intervals between the consecutive ironing operations depends only on the rate of speed at which the turntable is rotated between consecutive positions of rest.

Of course, the operation of the improved apparatus is most economical if the time necessary for moving a pair of ironing members 12, 13 into engagement with each other, for carrying out the ironing operation, for separating the ironing members, and for removing the freshly ironed article is not longer than the time necessary for applying an article onto an ironing member 13, for buttoning down an article, or for adjusting the article on its ironing member.

As is known, shirts and similar articles of apparel are ironed after coming from the manufacturing plant and before they are shipped to distributors. Since a newly manufactured shirt is dry, it is normally wetted before ironing to insure that the ironing step will be effective. The moisture content of a wetted shirt is rather small so that such shirts can be ironed within periods of time not substantially exceeding or even less than five seconds, for example, two seconds. The situation is ditferent when a shirt is ironed in a laundry because freshly laundered shirts are normally ironed at a time they still contain between 35-45% moisture. The time required for ironing of shirts with a moisture content of between 35-45% is about 1520 seconds. Of course, the duration of the ironing operation always depends to some extent on the quality and/or composition of the material.

If the configuration of articles of apparel is such that the buttoning or adjusting operation would require more time than the ironing step or the ironing step plus removal of an ironed article, the apparatus may comprise one or more additional ironing members 12 so that the adjusting or buttoning operation may be carried out in two or more stages. As a rule, and if the apparatus is to operate at maximum capacity, the number of stations equals the total time (in seconds) necessary for a complete revolution of the turntable divided by the time necessary for carrying out an ironing operation. In other words, if an ironing member 12 requires say seconds for moving from the station I and back to this station, and if the time necessary for ironing and for subsequently removing an article of apparel is five seconds, the number of ironing members 12 should be four and the application, buttoning and adjustment of an article should be completed within 15 seconds.

It can also be said that, if the apparatus is to be efficient, the time. necessary for an operation at any of the stations L1H should not exceed the time necessary for carrying out the ironing step plus the time necessary for moving an article of apparel between a pair of adjacent stations.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptions should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for ironing articles of apparel, particularly for ironing shoulder sections, collars and front sections of shirts and the like, said apparatus comprising at least three equally spaced heatable article-supporting first ironing members; means for intermittently moving said ironing members in a circular path about a common axis of rotation, each of said ironing members moving sequentially into and out of each of at least three work stations equally spaced about said circular path so that different operations may simultaneously be performed on the articles at each of the stations; a second ironing member outwardly adjacent to said circular path at one of said work stations; means for reciprocably supporting said second ironing member so that the second ironing member is consecutively movable into and out of ironing engagement with collars and front sections of articles supported by said first ironing members; a crease forming member inwardly adjacent to said circular path opposite said second ironing member at said one of said work stations; and means for reciprocably supporting said crease forming member so that the crease forming member is movable into and out of crease forming engagement with the shoulder section of that article of apparel which is engaged by said second ironing member, the number of ironing members being such that the time for performing any operation at any one station will at most equal the time required for moving said second ironing member and said crease forming member into and out of engagement with said article of apparel plus the time of ironing and crease forming engagement respectively of such members.

2. An apparatus for ironing front sections, collars and shoulder sections of shirts and similar articles of apparel, comprising four equally spaced article-supporting first ironing members each including a male ironing member received in the opening of a collar forming part of an article of apparel supported by the respective ironing member, each of said ironing members having an outer side inwardly adjacent to the front section and a shoulder sup porting portion inwardly adjacent to the shoulder section of the respective article of apparel which is supported thereby; means for intermittently moving said ironing members in a circular path about a common axis of rotation so that said outer sides are turned away from said axis, each of said first ironing members moving sequentially into and out of a first, a second, a third and a fourth work station where simultaneously an article of apparel is placed on said first ironing members at said first station, an article is buttoned down at said second station, an article is adjusted 'to eliminate creases at said third station and an article is pressed and after pressing is removed at said fourth station; a second ironing member outwardly adjacent to said circular path at the fourth work station, said second ironing member having an outer side turned toward said axis and comprising a female ironing element having a cutout adapted to accommodate one of said male ironing elements at a time; means for reciprocably supporting said second ironing member so that the outer side of the second ironing member is consecutively movable into and out of ironing engagement with the front sec tions of articles supported by said first ironing members and that the cutout of said female ironing element receives the collars of articles supported by the respective first ironing members whereby said female ironing element cooperates with the respective male ironing element to iron the collar; an additional member adjacent to said second ironing member and adapted to engage the shoulder section of that article of apparel which is engaged by the second ironing member; and means operatively connected with said additional member for reciprocably supporting the same so that said additional member may be moved into ironing engagement with the article supported by that first ironing member which is adjacent to said second ironing member.

'3. A method of ironing articles of apparel sequentially between each of at least three article-supporting first ironing members which are movable unidirectionally in a circular path and a cooperating second iron member which is adjacent to the circular path and which is movable into and out of ironing engagement with an article supported by the first ironing member adjacent thereto, said method comprising the steps of placing an article of apparel onto one of said first ironing members While said one first ironing member occupies a first position in which it is located beyond the second ironing member as seen in the direction in which the first iron members move in said circular path; moving said first ironing members through an angle of less than 360 degrees into a next position in which said one first ironing member is located ahead of the second ironing member as seen in the direction of movement of the first ironing members and another first ironing member is located in said first position; adjusting the position of the article on said one first ironing member and simultaneously placing a second article of apparel onto said other first ironing member; moving the first ironing members into a further position in which said one first ironing member is adjacent to the second ironing member, in which said other first ironing member occupies said next position and in which a further first ironing member occupies said first position; moving the second ironing member into ironing engagement with the article on said one first ironing member; simultaneously adjusting the position of the second article of apparel on said other ironing member; and simultaneously placing a third article of apparel onto said further ironing member.

4. A method of ironing collars, shoulder sections and front sections of button-equipped articles or apparel between one of four'article-supporting first ironing members each of which is movable unidirectionally in a circular path between four positions and a second ironing member which is adjacent to the circular path and which is movable into and out of ironing engagement with an article supported by that first ironing member which is adjacent thereto, said method comprising the stepsof placing an unbuttoned article of apparel onto one of said first ironing members while said first ironing member occupies a first position in which it is located beyond the second ironing member as seen in the direction in which the first ironing members move in said path and in which said one first ironing member is spaced through substantially 90 degrees from the second ironing member; moving said first ironing members through substantially 90 degrees so that said one of said first ironing members occupies a second position and another first ironing member is located in said first position; buttoning down the article on said one first ironing member and simultaneously placing a second article of apparel onto said other first ironing member; moving said first ironing members through substantially degrees so that said one first ironing member occupies a third position, said other first ironing. member occupies said second position and a further first ironing member occupies said first position; adjusting the position of the article on said one first ironing member so as to eliminate undesirable folds and pleats; simultaneously buttoning down the second article of apparel on said other first ironing member; simultaneously placing a third article of apparel on said further first ironing member; moving said first ironing members through'substantially 90 degrees so that said one first ironing member occupies a fourth position in which said one first ironing member is adjacent to the second ironing member, said other first ironing member occupies said third position, said further ironing member occupies said second position and a fourth first ironing member is located in said first position; moving the second ironing member into ironing engagement with the front section and with the collar of the article on said one first ironing member; simultaneously forming a crease and ironing the shoulder section of the article on said one first ironing member; simultaneously adjusting the position of the article on said other first ironing member; simultaneously buttoning down the article on said further first ironing member; simultaneously placing a fourth unbuttoned article of apparel onto said fourth first ironing member; moving the second ironing member away from said one first ironing member; removing the article from said one first ironing member; and moving said first ironing members through substantially 90 degrees so that said one first ironing member is in said first position and may receive another article of apparel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,241,373 5/41 Rawlinson et a1. 223--57 2,395,466 2/46 Couch 22357 2,698,705 1/55 Hitz 22357 2,765,549 10/56 Binns et al. 38--22 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF APPAREL, PARTICULARLY FOR IRONING SHOULDER SECTIONS COLLARS AND FRONT SECTIONS OF SHIRTS AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AT LEAST THREE EQUALLY SPACED HEATABLE ARTICLE-SUPPORTING FIRST IRONING MEMBERS; MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY MOVING SAID IRONING MEMBERS IN A CIRCULAR PATH ABOUT A COMMON AXIS OF ROTATION, EACH OF SAID IRONING MEMBERS MOVING SEQUENTIALLY INTO AND OUT OF EACH OF AT LEAST THREE WORK STATIONS EQUALLY SPACED ABOUT SAID CICULAR PATH SO THAT DIFFERENT OPERATIONS MAY SIMULTANEOUSLY BE PERFORMED ON THE ARTICLES AT EACH OF THE STATIONS; A SECOND IRONING MEMBER OUTWARDLY ADJACENT TO SAID CIRCULAR PATH AT ONE OF SAID WORK STATIONS; MEANS FOR RECIPROCABLY SUPPORTING SAID SECOND IRONING MEMBER SO THAT THE SECOND IRONING MEMBER IS CONSECTIVELY MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF IRONING ENGAGEMENT WITH COLLARS AND FRONT SECTIONS OF ARTICLES SUPPORTED BY SAID FIRST IRONING MEMBERS; A CREASE FORMING MEMBER INWARDLY ADJACENT TO SAID CIRCULAR PATH OPPOSITE SAID SECOND IRONING MEMBER AT SAID ONE OF SAID WORK STATIONS; AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCABLY SUPPORTING SAID CREASE FORMING MEMBER SO THAT THE CREASE FORMING MEMBER IS MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF CREASE FORMING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER SECTION OF THAT ARTICLES OF APPAREL WHICH IS ENGAGED BY SAID SECOND IRONING MEMBER, THE NUMBER OF IRONING MEMBERS BEING SUCH THAT THE TIME FOR PERFOMING ANY OPERATION AT ANY ONE STATION WILL AT MOST EQUAL THE TIME REQUIRED FOR MOVING SAID SECOND IRONING MEMBER AND SAID CREASE FORMING MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ARTICLE OF APPAREL PLUS THE TIME OF IRONING AND CREASE FORMING ENGAGEMENT RESPECTIVELY OF SUCH MEMBERS. 